Apate (Ancient Greek: Ἀπάτη Apátē) is a goddess and personification/daemon of deceit. She is the daughter of Nyx via parthenogenesis.[1]
Her literal equivalent in Roman mythology is Fraus (Fraud), while her male counterpart is Dolus (Deception), and her opposite number in Greek mythology is Aletheia, the goddess of truth.
Mythology
She only appears in the myth that mentions about the birth of Dionysus. Zeus and Semele had a secret affair so Hera would never find out. But the queen of the gods found out and sought help from Apate she willingly agreed to help Hera. She gave Hera a magical girdle which forced Semele into asking to see Zeus in his true form.
Semele died after seeing the god of thunder's true form. The deities could never appear to mortals in their true form. If they did show their real form no mortal could survive from looking directly at a god.
The only account of this myth is from Nonnus' Dionysiaca. Here recounted as follows[2]:
| “ | [Hera learns Semele is pregnant with a child of Zeus:] Nor did the consort of Zeus abate her heavy anger. She stormed with flying shoe through the heaven bespangled with tis pattern of shining stars, she coursed through innumerable cities with travelling foot, seeking if anywhere she could find Apate (Deceit) the crafty one. But when high above Corybantian Dicte she beheld the child bed water of neighboring Amnisos, the fickle deity met her there on the hills; for she was fond of the Cretans for they are always liars, and she used to stay by the false tomb of Zeus. About her hips was a Cydonian cincture, which contains all the cunning bewitchment of mankind : trickery with its many shifts, cajoling seduction, all the shapes of guile, perjury itself which flies on the winds of heaven.
Then subtle minded Hera began to coax wily Apate (Deceit) with wily words, hoping to have revenge on her husband: "Good greeting, lady of wily mind and wily snares! Not Hermes Hoax-the-wits himself can outdo you with his plausible prittle-prattle! Lend me also that girdle or many colors, which Rhea once bound about her flanks when she deceived her husband! I bring no prettified shape for my Cronion (Zeus), I do not trick my husband with a wily stone. No! a woman of the earth compels me whose bed makes furious Ares declare that he will house in heaven no more! What do I profit by being a goddess immortal? ... I am afraid Cronides, who is called my husband and brother, will banish me from heaven for a woman's bed, afraid he may make Semele queen of his Olympus! If you favor Zeus Cronion more than Hera, if you will not give me your all-bewitching girdle to bring back again to Olympus my wandering son, I will leave heaven because of their earthly marriage, I will go to the uttermost bounds of Oceanus and share the hearth of primeval Tethys; thence I will pass to the house of and abide with Ophion. Come then, honor the mother of all (Hera), the bride of Zeus, and lend me the help of your girdle, that I may charm my runaway son furious Ares, to make heaven once more his home. When she had finished, the goddess replied with obedient words: "Mother of Enyalios (Ares), bride first enthroned of Zeus! I will give my girdle and anything else you ask me; I obey, since you reign over the gods with Cronion. Receive this sash; bind it about your bosom, and you may bring back Ares to heaven. If you like, charm the mind of Zeus, and if it is necessary, charm Oceanus also from his anger. Zeus sovereign in the heights will leave his earthly loves and return self-bidden to heaven he will change his mind by my guileful girdle. This one puts to shame the heart bewitching girdle of the Paphian (Aphrodite)." This said, the wily-minded deity was off under the wind, cleaving the air with flying shoe. |
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–Dionysiaca 8. 110 ff (trans. Rouse), Nonnus | ||